Good One Thwaites!

Friends of the Earth gives hearty congratulations to Environment Minister John Thwaites, for implementing the community’s call for a wider study into river red gum

“The community has spoken on red gum, and Minister Thwaites has acted – he deserves hearty congratulation,” said Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth spokesperson.

VEAC will be instructed to consider possible Indigenous management involvement in all the areas studied.

“Minister Thwaites has made a great move to bring Indigenous rights to the fore in environmental management,” said Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth spokesperson.

“We now hope his leadership will see the departments follow suit in reaching out to Indigenous Traditional Owners and supporting their involvement in land and water management,” said Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth spokesperson.

“And we urge VEAC to meet Traditional Owners on their own terms – proper resources consultation, Nation by Nation, community by community,” said Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth spokesperson.

The Whole River Covered

Two-thirds of submissions to the VEAC Draft Terms of Reference explicitly demanded the study area cover all red gum on the Murray River and major tributaries from the Hume Weir to the South Australian border.

“Thwaites has fully met this demand,” said Jonathan La Nauze, Friends of the Earth spokesperson.